Old Knudsen likes to help with tourism so to promote our capital city here is some good news.
Judges from the Association of Town Centre Management said Belfast "showcased how a city effectively linked the daytime, evening, and night-time economies". Oh really? thats very good I didn't know there was so much to it.
It gives the "best practice" example of how to make somewhere safe and welcoming...... now hold on there, are we talkin about the same place?
I just read a blog where some chick from San Francisco left there to live in Belfast with her Ulsterman and left saying "After a year, I discovered it wasn't really the craic."
Andrew Irvine from Belfast City Centre Management went on to say:
"It's not just about drink - it's also about the cinemas, theater, restaurants and other attractions." ....
When you have to say its not about drink then you know thats what its about ...... there is nothing here that is family friendly so yeah its about the drink because if you get a family out and about after dark expect them to get knifed by a drunk. Unless they get car jacked first.
The award was for the Belfast nite zones project, four designated areas in the city which have police emergency contact points, taxi ranks, CCTV cameras and safety lighting.
Ah its all made clear now.
You take the big wigs around the green zones .... er the nites zones that have been made all lovely. Oh don't look over that fence we haven't finished yet oh don't go down that dark alley thats out of the zone.
Guess what? these zones, they don't have the cinemas, theaters, restaurants and other attractions together in the same place .
Four streets scattered around the nicer parts of the city does not make a safe city . Its the usual segregation crap pandering to some people while ignoring the rest. Tell the world its safe and there are things to do and when they get here we'll take their money as its not like there is anything to come back and see for a second time.
Its not like people automatically think 'Belfast' when they want to go to the theater ..... well unless you live here and have no choice in where to go.
These zones don't have an invisible barrier that keeps chavs out, if you call the police, "hello police theres 6 guys beating up my husband" ..... silence on the other end, " and would you like to make a complaint madam?"
When you give the police some balls and get rid of the sectarian crap then Old Knudsen will promote yer city but until then ...... stay away and spend yer money somewhere nice.
